Saturday, December 31, 2016

It seems forever that I baked for Bread Baking Day. I missed #84 because I was still in transition from moving and hadn't yet found my baking equipment or my spices and key ingredients.

Luckily, Simone, of Aus der Lameng, gave everyone two months to complete the challenge, which was baking a bread containing dried fruit. In that time, I was able to find everything I needed and managed to bake two (!) types of bread.

The first bread was a loaf filled with currants and dried cranberries.

It turned out beautifully and made excellent toast. It was also very simple because I used my bread machine to mix and knead the dough. It is definitely a bread that will become a staple. You can find the recipe here: Golden Egg Bread with Dried Fruit

The second recipe makes a dozen braided rolls, also filled with currants and dried cranberries.

These require a bit more work, to roll out the dough and make braids, but they are also delicious and very spectacular-looking. One advantage is that the dough can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Once again, I will direct you to the recipe link: Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit and Pearl Sugar.

This was a very enjoyable challenge. I always look forward to each one, thanks to Zorra (the original Bread Baking Day hostess) and the Hostess of the Month. In the next few days, stop by Simone's blog to see all the wonderful breads with dried fruit that she will share.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Last week, mid-work project, my laptop died. I immediately rushed it over to my computer repair lady, who, after 24 hours, declared it unusable. The next morning I went to a local store, purchased a new laptop, delivered it to my repair lady, then waited (impatiently) until all files could be transferred and I could resume work and life.

Meanwhile, with enforced free time, I thought of all the things I could do, like bake bread and sew.

But, no.

Everything I needed was -- wait for it -- on the computer.

Such is life nowadays that every important file or access point is on the computer, and when it dies, life is interrupted.

For this month's bread, I knew I needed beets, which I actually had, so I went ahead and put them in the oven to roast and soften. While doing that, a friend and I disappeared into the garage to move boxes and search for those still-elusive items. Two-plus hours later, I remembered the beets, definitely roasted and soft. After cooling, they went into the fridge.

I made a distress call to the group, and, thankfully, I once again had access (via my phone) to the recipe. Tuesday was the big day, both for bread baking and computer access (yay).

Did I pay attention to the vitals of the beets? No. I peeled them, dropped them into the blender, added the milk, and pureed away. (I should mention that my blender is vintage 1971, so it's beginning to be cranky on some of its settings.)

Using the alternate recipe, I made the dough and set it out to rise. (Another mention here: the dog is afraid of the furnace, so the inside house temperature is around 65 degrees. Not conducive to proofing bread in this lifetime.) While the bread was trying to rise, I ran over to the computer repair lady's house to pick up the computer (huzzah!). It only took another 24 hours to find all the appropriate software, load it, and return to some semblance of normalcy. Sadly, all my browser bookmarks disappeared, so the task of remembering and recreating them will fill my weeks to come.

By now, the bread dough was risen. I shaped three braided loaves, and when they were ready, popped them into the oven. It is a finely-tuned dance -- waiting for the oven to come to temperature (20 min.) without over-proofing the dough.

The end result was near-perfect. A lovely pinkish-red bread and a non-beet flavor. One loaf went home with my friend, and one will go to work with me today. Always good to share.

This bread is definitely Buddy-worthy, so check for details on Cathy's website, Bread Experience.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Seems like it's been forever since I wrote a post or baked bread. Since the beginning of August I have sold my mother's house, moved her furniture, helped her with several ER visits and multiple doctor visits, bought my own house, moved my belongings, and continued to work two jobs. After over six weeks, I still haven't found my dishes. The movers successfully buried them in the midst of a mountain of heavy boxes, whose contents I don't need at the moment. It took about four weeks to locate baking gear, six to find some glassware, and six to find my comforter, just in time for cool weather.

I did bake the coconut rolls featured in September, using the ancient oven in my rental place. I probably won't post them, but I will share a photo. They were very tasty and worth baking.

I missed October: bagels. But, I will fit them in before the end of the year.

In my new home, I inherited a large Wolf gas range. Very pleased about that. Although I'm not a fan of gas ovens, this one is performing beyond expectations. For baking purposes, I will have to keep an eye on the temperature, since I believe it's running a little hot. So, while I successfully baked the Pain Bouillie, and it looks nearly perfect, after 65 minutes in the oven, it still wasn't baked through inside. Boo hiss. I even covered the top with foil to keep it from turning too black.

I would bake it again, but I need to replenish my supply of cracked rye. With all the microbreweries in the area, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Back to the bread. It is Kelly's first selection as a Babe. It really is a bread worth baking -- just watch that oven temperature and baking time. (Also, use an instant-read thermometer to check the bread. This one time I didn't. I thought the 'thump' sounded ok, but I was sure wrong.)

So, if you want to be a Buddy this month, head over to Kelly's website to get the recipe, read her helpful tips, and see how delicious this bread looks. Send your story and photos to her by November 30 to be included in the roundup.

In the next town over from mine, there's a little restaurant on Main Street. My friends and I have dined there several times. The restaurant is Rabalais', a Southern Cajun Bistro, and they specialize in New Orleans cuisine. What do you think is also on the menu? Why beignets, of course. Smothered in powdered sugar. We always finish our meal with a plate of beignets to share.

So, it was great fun this month to have Elle (Feeding My Enthusiasms) challenge the Babes to bake their very own beignets. Using a recipe from Martha Stewart, we had the choice of making plain beignets and/or ones stuffed with something delicious. Given the state of my month, I decided to forego stuffing, but it's certainly something to do in the future.

What I did do was divide the dough in half and cook each half on successive days, and what I discovered was the dough that spent the night in the fridge had better puffiness in the fryer.

So, here's my hardware, filled with peanut oil:

(This is a vintage Corning Ware electric skillet, that I swiped from my mother. It's historic because I used it when I was in high school to make doughnuts once when my mother was away for the day. I was a sneaky kid. I knew she would never give me permission for fear of burning down the house. But I showed her. When she returned, there was a plate of doughnuts, a spotless kitchen, and her angelic kid.)

And here are the beignets:

No need to fear deep frying. Patience is the key.

And chopsticks. I always use my 'cooking' chopsticks for frying. They are longer than usual and the perfect utensil in combination with a slotted spoon.

During these hot summer days, deep frying is a great alternative to firing up the oven.

So, head over to Elle's kitchen to find the recipe and see how creative the other Babes were. Share your best beignets with her by August 29 to be included in the roundup.

Friday, July 15, 2016

As Kitchen of the Month for July, I challenged all the Babes to make bialys, a
bagel-cousin from Bialystok, Poland.
This is only a one-step process – baking only – and instead of a hole,
the bialy has a depression that can be filled with onions, cheese, or whatever
you choose.

For an informative discussion on bialys, check out this link from King Arthur Flour:

Just for you, I auditioned two different recipes. One uses a starter/poolish,

the other uses a
preferment. I’ve also provided a few
links to other recipes in case you want to try a different approach. Some recipes don’t have any pre-baking step.

I did encounter a puzzling problem. For my first batch of
bialys, I put two baking sheets in the same oven.
The bialys on one sheet came out perfectly; however, the ones on the
second sheet sort of exploded (or popped).

They were all treated the same way beforehand, so it’s a mystery to
me. For the second batch, baked in two
separate ovens, they all exploded.
???? In doing some Internet
research, I discovered this has happened to others, but there is no consensus
on why.

Another thing: the
first recipe produces bialys that are chewy with a more bread-like texture,

while the second recipe creates a bialy that is chewy with neat holes.

Both are delicious. (And make great sandwiches.)

So, for the July challenge, choose your
recipe,
be creative if you like, and enjoy this easier-to-make cousin of the
bagel. (Other links featuring history and other recipes are listed at
the end.)Recipe #1 from Elizabeth Faulkner

Bialy

Prep Time:
30 mins + 3 hours resting time

Cook Time:
15 minutes

Serving Size:
16 bialys

Ingredients

Filling

1 tablespoon
olive oil

1 teaspoon
poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt

1/2 onion
minced, per bialy

Dough

17 ounces
bread flour

9 1/2 ounces all-purpose
flour

1 tablespoon
kosher salt

2 teaspoons
sugar

4 ounces
starter or poolish*

1/2 teaspoon
active dry yeast

2 ounces
warm water

14 1/2 ounces cold
water

Directions

*Make the starter or poolish the night before with 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup
water and 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast. Mix together and leave out at room
temperature overnight.

Combine 2
ounces of warm water with the yeast to dissolve. Combine all dough
ingredients together except the salt.

When dough
comes together, knead for 6 minutes.

Add salt
and knead for another 2 minutes. Set aside to rise for 2 hours.

Roll into
a log on a flour dusted surface. Scale out dough at 3 ounces a ball
(about 16 bialys total)

Press each
out to shape without overworking and leaving 1" lip around edge.

Proof
dough balls (allow to rise again) in warm spot covered with a clean dish
towel for an hour or until soft and airy.

Sauté
onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until light caramel in color but at
higher heat. Make center depression in each one and fill with the
filling.

Sprinkle
bialys lightly with poppy seeds and salt.

Bake at
450 degree oven, preferably on a pizza stone, for about 12-15 minutes.

Recipe #2 adapted from Hot Bread Kitchen

Bialys

Dough:

Pâte Fermentée

120 g lukewarm water

2/3 teaspoon active dry yeast

180 g bread flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Mix all ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer until
combined.Cover with plastic wrap and
let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Combine water and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted
with a dough hook.Mix for 2 minutes.Let rest for 20 minutes.

Add the pâte fermentée, yeast, and salt and mix on low speed
until everything is completely combined.Increase the speed to medium/medium-high, adjusting water and/or flour
as necessary to get a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Place in a lightly greased and floured bowl, cover with
plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 90
minutes.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.Divide into 12 equal pieces (about 80g each)
and form each piece into a small bun.Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.Beginning with the first ball, flatten each
one into an approximately 4” disk.

Place disks on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1” apart.Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let proof
until they are very soft and hold an indentation when touched, about 60 to 90
minutes.

Heat a baking stone in a 500° oven for at least 30 minutes.

Uncover the bialys and create a depression in the center of
each disk.Place filling in the
depression.

Slide the parchment onto the baking stone, and bake until
golden, about 12-15 minutes.Transfer to
a rack to cool for a few minutes.

Serve immediately.Leftovers can be stored in an airtight plastic bag for up to 2 days.

Note #1: I did not use all the pâte fermentée for this recipe. Possibly you can use it to make a second batch. Perhaps one of the Babes did just that. For my part, my neglected starter grew fuzzy bits on top and had to be discarded. Next time, I will put the extra in the freezer if I don't get back to it.

Note #2: there was a heated discussion about salt. While both recipes use kosher salt, Hot Bread Kitchen specifies Diamond Crystal brand. There is a difference in the processing of each type of salt, so they each have a slightly different texture, which can effect the saltiness of the final product. Usually, the baker makes an adjustment to the recipe depending on which brand of salt is used. Well, I didn't, and, frankly, I didn't notice any negative effects to the final product.

(The inspiration for this month’s challenge comes from The Hot Bread Kitchen: Artisanal Baking from
Around the World.)

Would you like to be a Bread Baking Buddy?

Make some bialys and share your experience and photos by emailing me a
link to your blog or, if you don't have a blog, email me a photo and a
brief description. Send to jahunt22 [at] gmail [dot] com by July 29.
Once you have posted, I will send you a Buddy Badge for baking along
with us. Expect a roundup of all of the BBBuddies posts a few days after the close of submissions.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Southern California is home to a grocery warehouse store that is an excellent source for special items, Smart and Final. This business originated in the 1870s as a restaurant supply company, and through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and expansions became the store SoCal knows today. My grandfather drove restaurant delivery trucks during the 1920s and 30s, and did have a working relationship with Smart and Final. And, just so you know, the company takes its name from two early owners -- Mr. Smart and Mr. Final. No fooling. You can read about the history here.

The point of this is that when I needed a source of wheat bran for this month's challenge, I headed to my local Smart and Final, and discovered some in the bin section. I only had to buy the amount I needed, which was great.

Lien had the home kitchen this month, and she asked the Babes to bake a rustic, nut-filled loaf of wheat bran bread. There was a real variety of finished loaves, using different nuts and dried fruits and different shapes. It's delicious bread, probably most useful in a loaf shape rather than the boules I made.

As I'm writing this, I realized that I only managed to photograph one picture of my bread! It's a good thing I made it awhile back, because life has been super busy lately. Assisting and relocating a 94 year old parent is challenging at best. Both of us are still adjusting to a new routine. I've been told this process takes about 90 days. Hope we both survive!

I do have some of the wheat bran left over, and I'd really like to try playing with the recipe, making it into loaves and adding some dates or cranberries.

Check out Lien's website for the recipe and instructions on how to be a Buddy. Not many days remaining!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

After several years and 82 Bread Baking Days, it's getting more difficult to find a new challenge. This time around, Zorra (the founder of BBD), asked bakers to make a bread using special flour, either alone or in combination with traditional wheat flour.

I had some oat flour hiding in my freezer, so I decided to find a recipe that would help me use it up. Luckily, I discovered one and it has become my new favorite: Oatmeal Sandwich Bread from King Arthur Flour.

I have made it several times, using different sweeteners each time as an experiment. For the first loaf, I used golden syrup in place of the brown sugar and honey. It was delicious, but, for the second loaf, I used maple syrup. That was a winner, hands down.

The other change I made was to bake the bread in a larger pan (9"x5") instead of the stated 8.5"x4.5" pan. In the smaller pan, the bread can overflow. It still tastes good, but doesn't look as nice. I watched carefully, making sure the bread was risen just right, using the proofing times as a guideline rather than the rule.The addition of regular oats along with the oat flour gives the bread some texture, and, in case you don't have the flour, you can grind up some oats instead. I also used my bread machine during the mixing and initial proofing process to save some time. It really was a non-fussy way to make a lovely bread. While I was able to take photos of the loaf, itself, it disappeared too quickly to show the slices!Here's a link to the original recipe. Please give it a try -- you won't be disappointed.And, check back with Zorra in the next few days to see how other bread bakers used alternative flours.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Springtime in Southern California is much like the other three seasons, only not usually as hot. There is no snow or freezing temperatures, very little rain, and normally comfortable weather. Plants begin blooming in January.

My personal harbinger of spring is when the local strawberry stand opens for business (Terry Berries). This year, it was January, and three varieties have been available: Gaviota, Albion, and Via Patricia. The latter is a delicious berry, not quite as red as the others, but definitely sweeter. If you want a berry to nibble on, Via Patricia is the one. On the other hand, Albions, while also tasty, hold up to heavier-duty uses, such as baking, and this is the variety I chose for my Babe challenge.

This month, our Kitchen-of-the-Month was Cathy Warner from Bread Experience. She asked the bakers to create a Spring Focaccia, using either a favorite recipe or one she offered using sourdough starter. I actually did both, since I do have a favorite recipe, and also starter in the fridge. The best version turned out to be my favorite recipe. The sourdough one ended up being super flat and hard as a rock. The starter is good, but it really does need a boost of yeast.

For the spring topping, I cut the Albion strawberries in half, lightly sugared them, then placed them on the focaccia dough and baked the bread for 20 minutes. To serve, I mixed some mascarpone with a small amount of sugar and a splash of vanilla. (I probably should find some clear vanilla, since the topping ended up a beige-y color.)

This strawberry-topped focaccia makes a lovely breakfast or a tasty afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

All the Babes are so creative, so it's worthwhile to stop by their blogs and see what spring toppings they chose. Also, if you want to participate and share your take on a spring topping, submit your focaccia to Cathy by May 30th, then check back a few days later to see the roundup.

The following ingredients are part of the original recipe that I omitted due to the nature of the topping: 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemarycourse salt to taste

Instead, I added some grated orange and lemon zest.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan.

Mix the dry ingredients, including the yeast, in a bowl, then add the water until a soft dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover, and let rest about 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough to fit the baking pan; transfer to the pan, pressing it into the corners. Let the dough rise in a warm place, covered loosely with plastic wrap until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°.

Spread some soft butter on the dough, place the strawberry halves on top, and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Cut into serving pieces and top with sweetened mascapone or a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Several weeks ago I tried out a new sweet dough, which was easy to make and versatile. It was the perfect dough for the latest Bread Baking Day challenge. This month's hostess is Simone from Aus der Lameng. She invited everyone to make a sweet roll or bun that would go well with morning coffee.

Basically, I combined the first batch of dry ingredients in a bowl, then stirred in the wet ingredients, which were at room temperature*. I let the mixture rise for several hours, added the second round of dry ingredients, then placed the bowl in the refrigerator for an over night rest. The next morning, I rolled out the dough, spread it with melted butter, sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar and mini cinnamon chips, formed it into a roll, then sliced it up for individual rolls. I let the rolls rise for about 40 minutes, then baked them in a 375 degree oven for between 18 and 20 minutes. While they were barely warm, I frosted them with a maple-flavored icing. (The brownish color comes from the flavoring.)

My goodness, they were delicious!. Because the dough is easy to make, having these rolls around could develop into a bad habit, especially with my morning coffee.

Stop by Simone's website in a few days to see the variety of sweet rolls, and head over to Zorra's blog for all kinds of fun baking events.

The original recipe can be found here. (A small-batch version can be found here.)

*I didn't find it necessary to heat and cool all the liquid ingredients before combining them with the dry ingredients. This is my standard procedure for yeast doughs.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

It's time for another reveal from the Bread Baking Babes. Because last month was unusually busy for me, I'll share two baking challenges this time.

First up is the current challenge -- Un-cinnamon rolls.

The dough for this challenge is super easy to make and extremely versatile. It's based off of a recipe from a well-known Oklahoman food celebrity. I just happen to have three of her cookbooks, and upon diligent research, discovered that 1) the bread recipe appears in all three books, and 2) the recipe has evolved over the years. Our Kitchen of the Month, Karen, of Bake My Day, has the recipe posted on her website.

Basically, I combined the first batch of dry ingredients in a bowl, then stirred in the wet ingredients, which were at room temperature. I let the mixture rise for several hours, added the second round of dry ingredients, then placed it in the refrigerator over night.

The next morning I tore off about half the dough, rolled it out, rubbed it with melted butter, then spread on my filling. Because this was a non-cinnamon roll, my filling was a mixture of chopped spinach, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and dill weed, bound together with one egg. I let the resulting rolls rise about 40 minutes, then baked them at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes.

They are pretty tasty, and go well with just about every main dish.

The remaining dough was refrigerated until the next day, when I turned that into bonafide cinnamon rolls. But more on that another time.

Alas, I never got around to posting about the previous bread challenge, the Auberge Walnut Bread. At the time, my camera was being contrary, so I only got one or two photographs of the bread. And, sadly, the bread disappeared before I could shoot any more. It was delicious bread, though. The Kitchen of the Month was Elizabeth, of blog from Our Kitchen.

So, for April's bread, head over to Karen's for the recipe and instructions on how to participate as a Buddy. Like I mentioned earlier, the dough is easy and versatile.

Friday, April 1, 2016

This month, our hostess is Sandra from From Snuggs Kitchen. Sandra challenged us to bake some kind of roll or bun. Because Easter was in March this year, I decided to bake some Hot Cross Buns. I combined two recipes, and was pleased with the result. The buns were tender and had a nice touch of spice.

Thanks to Zorra for creating this fun challenge, and to Sandra for hosting. Be sure to visit Sandra's website in the next few days to see all the delicious submissions.